» Self Storage Facilities

If you think that you may need to get a storage space sometime in the near future, you may just want to make sure that you are prepared. Since you know a storage space will be in your near future, you should do some research now and do some leg work. Now of course managers will not be happy that you do not need storage right now, but they still will try to take care of you. They do not want to not give you service now in hopes that you will come to them in the future when you need storage. Make sure when you are calling around or checking about storage that you do not just go with the facility with the cheapest prices. There are other things to consider. With just a few tips, you should be able to find a good space at a good price.

 
You should try to find a location that is close to you. No one really wants to drive way out of their way for their storage belongings. So what more people end up doing is on the drive to their favorite destinations see if there is a self storage location on the way. This way, the customer knows that they could have their belongings be conveniently on their normal, daily path. If you end up choosing a self storage facility that is way out of your way, you could spend unnecessary time driving. So you have to decide if the price you are getting on storage worth the drive you have to make to get there?

 
Also, make sure that the site is secure. You are paying someone to treat your belongings like it is their own. You do not want to know that your belongings have the possibility of being stolen or damaged. A facility that has a gate that is surrounding the facility is a start. A facility that has door alarms on your unit that will sound if someone besides you tries to open the door is better. A facility that has surveillance cameras that keep an eye on your belongings when you can’t is even better. There are more bells and whistles that make a facility secure, so make sure you check out what they have to offer.  Security should be your most important thing to look for.

 
Access hours should fit your schedule, as well. Access hours are going to be different than office hours for the most part. The office is going to typically be open a shorter time than you have access to your storage facility. If you need to talk to the property manager about something or need something in the office then you need to see when the office is open. If you just need something out of your unit, then the access hours is what you need to look into. Some facilities offer 24 hour access so you can access your belongings when you need to. Depending on the company they could give you some pretty lengthy gate hours to access your belongings. Some facilities consider it a security option in where they only allow you access when the office is open. This way they can see everyone that comes into the facility. Whatever the access hours, make sure that it fits what you need.

Tweet This Post 

Self storage facilities will do what they can in order to beat out their competition. With that said they will shop their completion by making phone calls, visiting their website and also by simply walking into their facilities. For the confident storage manager this is not a big deal as they know that they have and they know that they will still get the customer they are looking for. They will gain the amount of new renters they had set as their goal. So what do some facilities do in order to grab the attention of potential renters? They give those discounts and specials off of their monthly storage. They can and have sent coupons on a flyer out to the homes of the people in the area.

If you receive a flyer or coupon in the mail or on line for a self storage unit you might want to hold on to it if you need storage later.  You might not need it now, but you never know when it will come time for you to need self storage. We sometimes do not think ahead so we decide to act spur of the moment. We look through our coupon books and find some things that would love to get discounts on the products that we need, then discard them. We do plan on using those discounts but we are not organized enough to keep then on or near our person so we can use them.

When you are offered a self storage coupon or discount, you should hold on to that and put it away for safe keeping. Your job could relocate you, you could have a death in the family and have to move, there are so many reasons to need self storage. In a time of crisis you do not want to have to worry about how you are going to pay for your self storage unit. That’s why it’s good to have your self storage coupon handy for you to use. It could save you a couple of dollars or it could save you a couple of months of rent. Find a safe place for your self storage coupon.

Tweet This Post 

What size storage unit do you need?  This question gets asked everyday.  There are people that will just call into a self storage facility or call center that ask what is the price on a self storage unit. Well this question is very hard to answer especially when the self storage manager you are talking to has a list of spaces in front of them with many different prices. They ware going to have to ask you to narrow it down for you.  Now you just have to work with that person in order to find the right size for you.

 
There are a few things that go into the size you might not have thought about.  First you need to determine what you are putting into the space.  If you only have boxes, you can go with a smaller unit.  Also, do you need to get in and out of the unit on a regular basis?  If you will need to go through boxes, you want to make sure to get a unit large enough to accommodate.  There is nothing wrong with getting a larger space than you need if you need to rifle through boxes and have some room. Just check with your self storage manager to see what the next size up will cost you.

 
Finally, consider how long you need it.  If you may need it long term, you might also go bigger in case you want to add things later. Sometimes if you know you will need the space for a long time, you can get a long term deal from the property manager. Since most storage facilities will have a lease that goes month to month, you might be able to find a space that you need at a price that can make you smile. The first step is to tell the manager what you are storing and have them recommend a size that can work for you.

Tweet This Post 

There are many families that will be moving all the time up to several times a year. When you move that many times a year, moving is not a big deal to you. You even find yourself not buying so many things because you do not want to pack those extra things up when you move. Most of the people that move consistently are those kind of people that have a plan each time they move. They might not even unpack everything they once had in their last home. They know they will have to move again in months.

 
If you are going to move that much, it is a good idea to make sure that you purchase items that you can reuse over and over. Plastic totes are a great alternative to cardboard self storage moving boxes when you are storing your items in a self storage unit. It is a good idea to place the belongings that will not be unpacked every time you move in to storage. This way you can consider getting a smaller space each time that you move. If you do not need a large space why get one. Use plastic totes each time you move.

 
With plastic totes you do not have to worry about the bottom falling out if you have heavy items in the box. You also do not have to worry about boxes getting crushed. If you have plastic totes when you move often, you can stack them up as high as you want and not worry about them toppling over because of pressure. It might cost you a little bit at first when you purchase the plastic totes, but at least you will not have to worry about purchasing anything else when you move next.

Tweet This Post 

Not everyone has all of their stuff together. People as a whole attempt to be organized but they are really not. To help their selves out with being organized, people have payments automatically come out of their checking account so if they forget, they will still make the payment they were scheduled to make without a late fee. Of course they have to ensure that they have the money in their account for the payment to be made. If a customer forgets their payment arrangements often, they can set up with the self storage facility to where they can take the payments out automatically. This way you can stay up to date on your self storage facility.

There are so many different methods in order for a self storage facility to take payments for the customer. It is a good idea for the self storage manager to inform the customer on the different ways they are able to pay their monthly rent. The manager will tell the customer that they are able to pay their rent online, they can come by the store or they will be able to call the payment in. Now the customer will have to understand the different ways they are able to make a payment. The truth is not all facilities will allow all the methods of making a payment detailed above.

For some self storage facilities they will tell you they do not want to take payments over the phone because they want to reserve the phone for new customers. If the customers that are only wanting to make a payment call in then that could tie up the lines for new customers to call in. Again, the facility manager would need to ensure they are informing the customers of this procedure. It is good to verbally tell the potential renter and also to put that fact in the renal agreement. This way if the customer has a disagreement, the manager can point out the agreement on the lease.

Tweet This Post 

Of course not all self storage facilities are created equal. If this were the case, no one would spend as much time and money to make their facility look different than the others. If all facilities were created the same, then it wouldn’t really matter which facility you rented at, because they would all be the same. So then you can just choose which facility is closest to you and rent from there. Unfortunately not all self storage facility have everything in common. Your mission, if you choose to accept it is to find out which facility is unique enough to earn your business.

 
When people are calling around looking for storage they are trying to figure out what makes the self storage facility different. If they cannot find something that makes them different they then turn to price. For many customers, the specials really make the deal when shopping for storage units. One site may be cheaper monthly, but a free first month would mean the other may be cheaper. In this instance, what really would make the difference is how long you were planning on renting. In some cases you will be able to use the special in order to make your total payments for how long you are storing, cheaper.

 
All facilities will tell you that you need a lock. Locks come in many shapes and sizes. You can get a padlock style lock to meet the requirements or you can get a disc lock for added security. You do not want to get a lock that is easy to cut off because you want your belongings to be safe within your storage unit. Make sure that you do not try to be too cheap here and get the lock that is going to keep your belongings safe.

 
If you are looking to sell a lot of items that need to be shipped, you may want to check out the packing supplies available at your local storage facility. If your local facility is a one stop shop when it comes to self storage, then you definitely lucked out. This way if you need anything such as boxes moving supplies or anything of the sort, you do not have to leave the office. When you are calling around looking for the differences between local self storage facilities then you will want to ask about moving and packing supplies.

Tweet This Post 

When looking for storage, people often forget that many facilities carry moving and storage supplies.  This can be a huge time saver if you are setting things up at the last minute.  Many people think storage is just that, storage.  This is the common misconception about self storage. It is sure that in the early days of self storage, maybe the facilities did not have everything you needed in the office. The companies were most likely solely looking for storage and that is it.

 
However, most companies now offer a wide variety of boxes, packing supplies, and furniture covers.  Usually, the prices of these items cost less than at a retail store.  This gives self storage an extra layer of convenience.  Not only can you store your things, but everything you might need is right on site whenever you have to have it.  How could it get any better than that?

 
The answer to that question is you cannot. For the average self storage customer who is in a rush to get every thing done on their moving day, they can get everything they need from one place. They do not want to move into a storage unit and then have to leave to go get a lock, box, or any other storage supply they need. They can turn around in the office and grab the lock they need off the wall. Most self storage facilities now are considered to be your one stop shop for storage.

Tweet This Post 

Not all self storage sites were created equal. It is true that the different sites offer various features and benefits than other sites. When you are shopping around looking for the best facility to fit your needs, it is important to know how the facilities will do their billing. With this knowledge, you can truly understand how you are paying and also how much you are paying.

If you move in during the middle of the month, most sites will prorate your move in so that you are going to pay for the remaining days of the month. This is good because you are paying for the time that you are there and not the entire month. It does not really make sense to pay for the time that you are not storing. Prorating your move in days is very helpful to your peace of mind and also your pocket book.

If a site has 1^st of the month billing, they actually will not typically prorate the move out. If you are only there a couple of days, then that could potentially be different. Very rarely you will find that a facility will prorate the move out and you only pay for the time that you are renting. In most cases the facility will ask that you pay for the rest of the month even if you are not there. Not all believe that to be fair, but at the same time, this prevents customers from abusing the self storage facility. Leases are typically month to month so you can leave at the end of your prorated time.

Knowing how your billing works at your self storage facility is crucial. They will not send you a bill unless you ask for one. So just know that you will need to bring your account current each month on the first of the month if that is now it is set up. Before you leave, the manager will make sure that you understand the billing cycle.

Tweet This Post 

Hollywood Park storage units are located in the great State of Texas.  We have a lot of history with Texas and yours truly spent many years in the State.  Texas is vast and deep and there are many things we like about the place.  We like Galveston.  Our family enjoyed every trip we ever took to this beach side city and the more we went there, the more we found.  You will hear two different stories about this Southern city, one good, and one bad.  People here and especially in Houston, which on a good day is a little over an hour away, say a bad story.  Texas has built great wealth with the drilling of oil.  This oil has made Texas a very rich State and it boomed in the nineteen seventies.  The oil makes the ocean dirty.  The beaches in this city do not have big blue great and inviting water to swim in.  It is brown at times, and some say it is brown all the time.  Thousands of people still swim in it, and we have too.  The ocean water is warm here and it is very shallow for a very long time.  One can walk and walk in the ocean towards the horizon before you actually get a little deep.  This is great because even little children can go in the ocean and walk a little ways, and the water is still shallow enough for their parents to let them in the water.  It is also good for people learning how to swim or even surf.  The waves are small, maybe three feet and under most of the time.  So, if your glass is half full, the waves are a perfect size for one to learn how to surf.  On the other hand, good surfers or world famous surfers would not choose to ever surf here.  So there you go.  We liked the waves but once in a while you may get a taste of salt in your mouth and it does not taste very good.  People still fish here too and catch fish.  So how dirty is the water really if these good looking fish live in the water?  The hotels are great too.  We liked the swim up bar in one of the hotels we stayed in on a convention trip.

Hollywood Park storage units are located in the great State of Texas.  Storage units were full during the boom of Texas and many companies came in to build.  Soon enough the industry was saturated and many companies stopped building in Texas because of that.  They could also get higher rent prices in New York and other cities.  It was pretty cheap to rent a self storage space in Houston, Texas in the nineteen nineties.  Many companies and self owned storage places were not very full either back than so it was a double whammy.  Prices were cheap, and still no one was renting units.  A lot of them fell under sixty percent.

Hollywood Park storage units are located in the great State of Texas.  Austin has always been a growing city, boom or no boom.  It did not rely only on oil but on music scenes, computer and software business and electronics too.  They were more diversified and benefited from this.

Tweet This Post 

I have become quite familiar with the best practices of self storage over the years, and I would not have it any other way.  I mean, if you are going to be paying your money to a self storage facility, you truly have to be sure that you are doing what it takes to get the most of it.  That much being said, you are going to want to bear a few things in mind when you rent your first self storage unit.  This article, here, is going to point a few of these things out.  Hopefully you will find it helpful.

First and foremost, reader, you have to be sure that you are not renting a unit that is too big for you.  This, believe it or not, is how the majority of people waste money when they rent a self storage unit.  Of course, you can avoid all of this by getting a solid feel for how much space your belongings are going to require before you start calling around for prices.  IF you can, stack up your belongings in a spare room in your house and see how much space they take up.  Take a few rough measurements, and do not allow yourself to be bullied around when you are asking about sizes and prices.  If you come to the table with some knowledge of what you are going to need, then the chances of you getting ripped off are much, much lower.

Of course, you are also going to want to remember that you can stack your belongings when they are in your unit, which is going to save you quite a bit of space as well.  If you have large, bulky items, then you are going to want to move them into your unit first, thereby guaranteeing that they have enough floorspace.  Next, move your littler objects in, stacking them on top of the larger ones when this is possible.  IF you have a little bit of extra money, then you might choose to install some shelves in your unit, which will help you keep your smaller boxes and items out of the way.  A little bit of work can go a long way when it comes to maximizing your storage space.

Finally, reader, you are going to want to be sure that you are making full use of the moving specials that are at your disposal.  Always remember to ask your property managers if they are willing to match prices, and be sure to ask them if they have any moving specials to offer.  If they do happen to have a moving special, then you are going to want to write it down in an organized fashion, guaranteeing that you are not going to run into any problems when it comes to comparing your options at the end of the day.  This is going to start sounding a bit like homework, but if you are ready and willing to commit to a bit of research, then you are only going to end up saving yourself money.

It is a little bit of work to maximize the power of your dollar when it comes to self storage, but you are going to find that the extra work almost always amounts to massive savings.  Get out there and explore your options.

Tweet This Post